Chapter 9: The Military of the Republic
CHAPTER 9 The Military of The Republic 9.1 INTRODUCTION For a lot of players, this is definitely the chapter with the ―fun stuff.‖ There are a lot of complexities here, and our attempts to simulate the workings of the armies and navies of the Republican period are far from perfect. For most of us, if we have experience ―wargaming,‖ it comes in the form of board games or computer games. This is definitely a different kind of animal! The lessons you learned about the importance of combined arms and terrain in games like ―Rome: Total War‖ will certainly have their application here, but fighting a battle with the written word is definitely different than doing it with a mouse or a stack of game pieces on a paper map. Still, it can be a very rewarding and fun experience! 9.2 ARMIES Armies of the Middle Republic, the time period in which The Legacy of Sulla takes place, were made up of one or more legions. The basic make-up of a legion was this: Roughly 4500 troops, split into 3 categories – Equites (Cavalry), Velites (light infantry), and Legionnaires (heavy infantry). The Legionnaires were in turn divided into 3 lines, based on experience and age. The first, with the newest soldiers, was called the hastati, which consisted of 10 Maniples, each with 2 centuries of 60 men. The second, consisting of those in the prime of life and of good experience, was called the principes, which also consisted of 10 Maniples, each with 2 centuries of 60 men. The third line, consisting of the older, wise soldiers, was called the triarii, which consisted of 10 Maniples, each with 2 centuries of just 30 men each. In The Legacy of Sulla of AncientWorlds.net, one legion amounts to 3,000 Heavy Infantry (the Legionnaires), 1,200 Light Infantry (the Velites), and 300 Heavy Cavalry (the Equites). Allied kingdoms and subjugated peoples that did not hold the Roman citizenship were often recruited just as much as those with the Roman citizenship were. Their legions were called auxiliaries. In The Legacy of Sulla, auxiliary legions contain the same amount of troops as a regular, Roman legion. Additional cavalry may be raised in the form of alae. One ala consists of 500 light cavalry, divided into smaller groups called turmae. Also, individual cohorts of light infantry, archers, peltasts, etc may also be raised. Each legion has a standard, or ‗aquila‘ made of silver and gold. It never leaves camp unless the entire legion is on the move. Each legion has a flag or ‗vexillum‘ with its own emblem for use by detachments serving away from the parent legion. These vexilla usually represent some event relating to the origin of the legion, or a sign of the zodiac. Within a legion, each century has its own standard, or ‗signum‘. In camp, the eagle is kept in a shrine; in the field, the eagle is under the care of the primus pilus. Governors will have control over legions within their province, unless the Senate decrees otherwise. Within each legion, the most senior officer is the Legatus, assisted by junior legates and Military Tribunes. Regular legions must be raised from scratch and disbanded once their service is over. It takes approximately two weeks for a legion to be raised. Head Count legions, however, are standing legions and will not ordinarily be disbanded. 9.2.1 Siege Equipment Rome‘s armies made use of various types of siege equipment, some well known, others less so. This is a list of siege equipment that will be used in The Legacy of Sulla: ballistae siege tower battering ram onager Siege equipment is built in the field by the legion‘s engineers. 9.3 NAVIES In Ancient Rome, many different types of ships were used in naval battles and engagements. Here at The Legacy of Sulla, these have been simplified into four categories: liburnae, biremes, triremes, and quinqueremes. Liburnae are light, fast ships with little armor or marines. They come equipped with one ballista, and a contingent of 50 marines. Biremes are the smallest of the proper warships. They are lightly armored, and manned by two decks of rowers. They come equipped with two ballistae, and a contingent of 100 marines. Triremes are the Roman navy‘s middleweights. They are more heavily armored than biremes, and have three decks of rowers. They come equipped with two ballistae and two catapultae, as well as a contingent of two hundred marines. Quinqueremes are the heavyweights, heavily armored and slow, but quite devastating. They come equipped with four ballistae and five catapultae, as well as a contingent of four hundred marines. 9.4 COSTS AND RAISING RESTRICTIONS One traditional legion of Roman troops costs 500,000 D to raise and 200,000 D to maintain each quarter. One Head Count legion of Roman troops costs 1,000,000 D to raise and 250,000 D to maintain each quarter. One legion of auxiliary troops costs Rome nothing, in raising and upkeep (the cost is passed on to the allied nation). One ala of cavalry costs 120,000 D to raise and 90,000 D to maintain each year. Additional maniples of Roman troops may be raised at prorated rates. Liburnae and biremes are both available in squadrons of ten. One squadron of either liburnae or biremes costs 500,000 D to build/appropriate and 250,000 D to maintain each year. Triremes are available in squadrons of eight. One squadron costs 750,000 D to build/appropriate and 350,000 D to maintain each year. Quinqueremes are available in squadrons of five. One squadron costs 800,000 D to build/appropriate and 400,000 D to maintain each year. Note: all ships can also be levied from Roman allies, at no cost to Rome. Siege engines can be built by legions for no cost. The total number of Roman troops that can be supported without ill effect is not to exceed 10% of the citizen population (as found in the SOTR). For every percentage point over 10 of the total population being supported by the Republic, public unrest grows by 5% per RL month, and income generated in Italia drops by 5% per RL month. Allied troop levels cannot exceed total Roman troop levels. For every 1,000 troops over Roman troop levels that an allied nation is forced to support, trade with that nation decreases at 10% per RL month, and opinion towards Rome goes more hostile at 10% per RL month. 9.5 REINFORCEMENTS Naturally, troops in the field will suffer casualties as a result of engagements. To replenish legions/alae/squadrons, commanders in the field can raise replacements for legions whose casualty rate is less than 50%. If over 50%, troops must be raised in their original province, and then sent to the commander. The cost for this is the percentage of troops needed applied to the cost of the unit. 9.6 MILITARY ORDERS Giving military orders is actually quite simple. All that is required of the would-be general is a basic understanding of the types of troops he commands, tactics, and strategy. There are only 2 requirements for posting military orders: Specificity: be as specific with your orders as possible. Timeliness: obey the timeframes given by the Arbiter(s). After your orders are given, the Arbiter(s) will respond within two days with results. Players must alert the Arbiter(s) to any and all military actions that they attempt to undertake. 9.6.1 SMEAC: The Five Paragraph Order Having trouble figuring out how to put your battle plan on paper? Do what the Marines do! Try writing your order in the Five Paragraph ―SMEAC‖ Format: 1. Situation. Describe the overall circumstances of your army. Where you are, what the teLOSain looks like, why you will have to offer battle. 2. Mission. What are your objectives? Take an enemy town or fort? Drive the enemy army from the field? Defeat a force at sea? Hold a key piece of teLOSain until reinforcements arrive? By stating exactly what it is that you‘re trying to do, you will add clarity to your orders! 3. Enemy. What forces are you facing? What is their strength? How many cavalry do they possess? How many triremes? Are they dug in? What are their vulnerabilities and weak spots? This format for writing orders is purely optional! We‟re just saying that if you don‟t know exactly how to organize your battle plan into coherent prose, this is one good way to approach the task… 4. Actions. What is your battle plan and how do you intend to conduct your attack/defense? Opening baLOSage with artillery? Flanking assault with cavalry? Frontal attack with your heavy infantry? March your men in testudo formation until just before they reach the enemy lines? Here‘s where you want to really concentrate on your details! 5. Command and Signal. How are you going to coordinate the battle? Will you remain in an observation position where you can best direct your forces (and exercise the best command & control), or are you going to fight in the front ranks alongside your men (to inspire the ranker troops, but at the expense of overall command & control)? It‘s up to you! 9.7 AWARDS AND HONORS Actions have consequences, both good and ill. With a victory (and sometimes, even with defeat) will come honors and awards…and perhaps death or serious injury! Military honors are calculated by the Arbiters, who will evaluate the general‘s orders, pre-battle and battle posts. The victorious army and general may be called upon by the Senate to march in Triumph through the streets of Rome. The general (or select individuals serving with him) may become eligible for personal awards, subject to Senatorial approval. In addition, a victorious army may spontaneously hail their general as ‗Imperator‘ on the battlefield. A general proclaimed as Imperator, who has killed 5,000 foreign combatants or more, is eligible for Triumph when he returns to Rome. Generals can engage in ‗Standard Heroic Actions‘, which tend to inspire the troops, but are not risky to the general himself (eg, issuing well-written orders; making a pre-battle speech to the troops; executing superior tactics; rallying a faltering line). There are also more spectacular feats which the general can attempt, termed ‗Risky Heroic Actions‘. They caLOSy with them increased likelihood for honors, but also tangibly increase the real possibility that the general will be wounded on the field of battle (eg, fighting in the front ranks; sending your horse away and fighting on foot; leading an assault over the enemy‘s walls; ramming the enemy with your flagship if on sea). Generals intending on taking any of these actions must let the Arbiters know ahead of time, either in the orders or as part of a battle naLOSative posting. Following the battle, the Arbiters will consult the Military Awards Calculator table. This will determine both the level of award the PC may be eligible for, and also determine any wounds suffered in the process. Awards are classified into six levels, and are awarded by Senatus Consultum. They may be awarded to both commanders and officers. Level I - 2 Auctoritas, 2 Gravitas, one-time award Vexilla: smaller version of the legion's flag in cloth or silver. Level II - 4 Auctoritas, 4 Gravitas, one-time award Phalerae: sets of nine ornamented disks in gold, silver or bronze depicting mythological creatures and worn on a leather harness. Hasta Pura: ceremonial spear without a head, awarded for wounding an enemy in single combat. Level III - 6 Auctoritas, 6 Gravitas, one-time award Gold torques, neck-rings and armillae or arm-rings; Corona Navalis: the Naval Crown, awarded to the first man to board an enemy ship during a naval engagement (requires ramming or grappling enemy ship). Level IV - 10 Auctoritas, 10 Gravitas, awarded yearly for life Corona Muralis (the Walled Crown): made of gold, awarded to the first soldier to gain entry to a besieged town. Corona Vallaris (the Rampart Crown): made of gold, awarded to the first soldier to gain entry to an enemy camp. Corona Aurea (the Gold Crown), awarded to men of consular rank only. Level V - 15 Auctoritas, 15 Gravitas, awarded yearly for life Corona Civica (the Civic Crown): made of oak leaves, awarded for saving the life of a citizen (results in the immediate entry of the winner into the Senate). Level VI - 20 Auctoritas, 20 Gravitas, awarded yearly for life Corona Obsidionalis (the Siege Crown): made from vegetation taken at the site of the event, awarded to the person who raises a siege Corona Graminea (the Grass Crown): made from vegetation taken at the site of the event, it symbolizes the feat of saving one or more legions from utter defeat singlehandedly: (results in immediate entry into the Senate). NOTE: A PC General/Admiral in command of subordinate PC’s (example: A Propraetor who has a couple of PC’s working for him as Legates) may nominate them for low-level awards (Levels I-III) based of their overall performance (regardless of the outcome of the Awards Calculator die rolls). The purpose of this is to more accurately depict the latitude a field commander would have to reward his subordinates. 9.7.1 The mechanics of Military Triumphs Once permission has been granted by the Senate, the PC general will be allowed to stage a triumphal procession when next he returns to Rome. The effects of celebrating a Triumph are considerable: the PC will immediately gain a one-time boost of 20 points Gravitas and 30 points Auctoritas. In order for these effects to take place, the PC must make a posting under the ―URBS‖ category describing the procession. Staging a triumph will cost the PC general (the Triumphator) a minimum of 15,000 D to put on. Every 5,000 D additional outlay will result in an additional 1 point of Auctoritas, up to a maximum of 20 Auctoritas. (The Senate can only be impressed so far by spectacles of this sort, but the People are much more likely to respond to increased pageantry). PC‘s staging a Triumph may also hold games in conjunction with the triumph (subject to the normal rules concerning games) for additional influence points. It‘s all a matter of how much the General wants to spend tooting his own horn, as it were. 9.8 VICTORY, DEFEAT, AND POLITICAL CONSEQUENCES In addition to the political influence which can be gained through the winning of personal honors and staging a triumph, there are more direct consequences to winning or losing a battle. There‟s no guarantee that your character will survive a battle, even one that he wins! Therefore, plan those battles carefully… 9.8.1 Injury and Death Death in battle is one of the few ways in which a PC can be killed involuntarily. Men, even Generals, are not invincible. Therefore, the Arbiter(s) will take into account a general's actions during a battle (i.e. rushing into a knot of hundreds of enemy) and determine whether or not that general is wounded, or even killed, in combat. Actions considered ‗Risky Heroic Actions‘ will be used to modify the same die roll used to determine personal Military Awards and Honors. Generals wounded in the line of duty will enjoy a temporary boost in popularity with the People. This temporary gratitude takes the form of a one-time award of Auctoritas as follows: Extremely Grave Wound: 10 Auctoritas (Pray, Rome for his swift recovery!) Severe Wound: 5 Auctoritas (How brave, how heroic!) Serious, Moderate or Minor Wound: 2 Auctoritas (Poor baby!) No Wound: 0 (Good for you, now get back to work…) 9.8.2 Political Consequences While the influence gained by military awards requires confirmation by the Senate (and may be delayed for months), the effects of military victory/defeat take place the moment word arrives in the Forum. As would be expected, the bigger the battle, the greater the consequences. Battle Size Total Number of Combatants (friend & foe)* Gravitas (Gain/Loss)** Auctoritas (Gain/Loss) Skirmish Less than 500 troops or 5 ships 1 2 Small Engagement 500-5,000 troops or 6-10 ships 2 5 Medium Battle 5,000-15,000 troops or 11-25 ships 5 10 Large Battle 15,000-75,000 troops or 26-75 ships 10 25 Huge/Epic Battle 75,000+ troops or 76+ ships 15 40 Special Circumstances (as determined by Arbiter or Senatorial Acclaim) Outnumbered by more than 2:1*** +5(W)/+2(L) +10(W)/+2(L) Stunning Victory (Low casualties compared to enemy) +2 +4 Military Disaster (Poorly led, forces wiped out needlessly, etc.) -10 -20 Political Consequences of Military Victories/Defeats *This assumes a more or less even match. A battle between 15,000 Romans and 100 Numidians would not be considered a “Large Battle” because it was so lop-sided. ** These awards are cumulative. A general who fought in a medium battle who was outnumbered 3-1, but who managed to inflict a disproportionate number of casualties on the enemy would receive an immediate boost of +12 Gravitas and +24 Auctoritas! *** Even if a PC General loses a battle, being outnumbered will bring a certain amount of admiration…+2 Grav/Auc will mitigate somewhat the points deducted for losing the battle. Also, it should be pointed out that junior PCs will not suffer the loss of influence should they be defeated that a general of Praetorian or higher rank would. The Senate and People realize that ―the lad was doing his best.‖ Therefore, AUC/GRAV losses for PCs below the rank of Praetor will be halved (rounded up). 9.8.3 Spoils of War Commanders in the field must alert the Arbiter(s) what they intend to do with captured enemy soldiers. They may put them to death, enslave them, or free them. If enslaved, the Arbiter(s) will calculate the amount of revenue generated, and then the commander must decide whether to keep all the proceeds or donate the proceeds to his troops, in whole or in part. The Arbiter(s) will also make the determination as to how much booty (be it captured jewels, gold, silver, other precious metals, land, etc) is captured from enemy armies, cities, etc. This too can be kept either by the commander, or donated to the troops (NOTE: land captured can only be given to one's troops via a Senatus Consultum). Prisoners sold as slaves. Captives taken on the field of battle can be sold into slavery. This is done by making a post on the Finances thread describing how the captives are disposed on the auction block. Market prices are as follows: Civilized Slaves (Greeks, Egyptians, Pontics, etc.): 500 D each Non-Civilized Slaves (Pirates, Germans, other barbarians): 300 D each Wounded prisoners are sold for half the above prices. Women and children are sold for 50 D each. 9.9 CAMPAIGNING SEASON In ancient times, armies were (for one reason or another) restricted in the amount of time they could spend out in the field. Be it because they were needed to go home to harvest and plant crops, or because of inclement weather, there were two definitive seasons for the army: Campaigning, and winter. To replicate this in LOS, armies may only campaign in quarters 1,2 and 3. Quarter 4 is reserved for non-combat troop movements, disbanding/raising forces, etc. As they say, “War is Good Business.” A successful military campaign can make one‟s fortunes, both materially and politically! Appendix C contains some excellent info on how to win your battles. Lots of good info there… The Legacy of Sulla © Copyright 2011 Jim Sebastian